Wednesday, June 26 2019 14:49

ArmInfo. TVEL JSC and "Haykakan Atomayin Electrakayan" CJSC (Armenian NPP) have signed contractual documents for supplies of Russian nuclear fuel in 2019 - 2020, the press service of TVEL JSC reports.  Earlier, in compliance with the    relevant documents signed in 2017, a stock of fresh nuclear fuel  was formed at the site of the power plant.

According to the press service of "TVEL" Fuel Company, previously, on  the basis of documents signed in 2017, a reserve of nuclear fuel was  formed at the power plant.  "The latest supplements to the general  contract will provide for all the needs of Armenian NPP in fresh  nuclear fuel, as well as replenish the existing fuel stock at the  power plant, which secures reliable fuel supply for the reactor. TVEL  traditionally offers the Armenian partners nuclear fuel supplies on  favorable conditions. Along with other matters, we take into account  the ongoing life extension works at the only nuclear power unit in  the country, as the project currently limits power generation output  of the facility." Oleg Grigoriyev, Senior Vice-President for Commerce  and International Business at TVEL JSC, commented.  

 The general fuel contract between TVEL JSC and Armenian NPP is valid  for the whole useful life of unit, including its life extension. The  Armenia's sole 407.5 MW nuclear power unit with VVER-440 reactor is  running on chatter- resistant fuel produced by Machine-Building  Plant, TVEL's fabrication facility in Elektrostal, Moscow region.

In May of this year in Sochi, announcing the signing of documents,  Oleg Grigoriyev reported that there would be no increase in the price  of nuclear fuel for the Armenian NPP. He noted that all the  formulations in the contract are fully adapted to any change in the  market - when the market goes down, the price automatically drops.

The supply of nuclear fuel to the Armenian NPP, which provides up to  40% of electricity generation in the country, is an important area of  Russian-Armenian cooperation in the energy sector.  It should be  noted that Armenian and Russian specialists are developing a pilot  project for the removal of spent nuclear fuel from the Armenian NPP.  The main objectives of the project to extend the life of the 2nd unit  of the Armenian NPP are to restore the resource and extend the plant  to 10 years (until 2026), to increase the level of safety and  efficiency of the NPP.  In the current year, it is envisaged to  replace the second turbogenerator, an automatic control system at the  station, to carry out repair work on cooling towers.

In addition, work will be carried out to prepare for processing the  dome of the reactor, which will be subjected to temperature treatment  (annealing), in order to increase its strength to resist neutron  fluxes. The annealing itself will be carried out in 2020. The end of  2021 will complete all work on the project.  

The Armenian NPP consists of two units with Soviet (Russian) WWER  reactors. The first block was commissioned in 1976, the second - in  1980. In March 1989, after the Spitak earthquake, which killed 25  thousand people, the station was stopped. In November 1995, in  connection with the acute energy crisis, the second unit of the plant  with a capacity of 407.5 MW was activated. In March 2014, the  Armenian government decided to extend the life of the second power  block by 10 years - until 2026.  Completion is scheduled for 2019.  The government of the Russian Federation has allocated Armenia for  these purposes a state export credit in the amount of $ 270 million  and a grant of $ 30 million.